Andy Guy, Ben Greenwood, Dan Craven and British Cycling president Brian Cookson.
Ben Greenwood(Rapha Condor) won the North West Regional RR today (Sunday 31st) from Andy Guy (Science In Sport) and team mate Dan Cravan (Rapha Condor), both @13 secs. The backdrop to the race was the picturesque 135km Bashall Eaves circuit which unlike last year, was bathed in sunshine and saw the feed station busy with riders taking on fluid on every one of the seven undulating laps.
Even with temperatures hitting the high 20's, attacks were the order of the day with Rapha Condor team testing the rest of the field despite having raced the night before in Edinburgh. A break of six riders managed to get away by lap 3, Ben Greenwood, Dan Cravan and Matt Cronshaw (Rapha) were joined by Graeme Sumner (GB Fire), Craig Battersby (Lancashire RC) and Pete Williams (Candi TV) who opened up a 15 second gap on the chasing peloton. Small groups had formed during the next two laps and were spread over a good few miles of the circuit.
By lap 5, Ben Greenwood, Dan Cravan and Graeme Sumner(GB Fire) had been joined by Andy Guy (Science In Sport) and the pace picked up which left the rest of the field reeling. Sumner was dropped from the group on lap 6 which left the three remaining riders who had pulled a 2.30 minute gap, to battle it out for the win. The lead group stayed together onto the two laps of the short Bashall circuit but Greenwood pulled away to a solo victory while the remaining two riders sprinted it out for second and third places.
Ben Greenwood afterwards said "The other teams weren't riding with us, so me and Dan had a go but it was hard work out there. Dan did a tremendous amount of work on the front which helped set me up for the victory because I'm a local rider. It was good to win today. I was a bit tired because I did the Edinburgh Nocturne last night and I didn't get in until 2 am this morning so I was a bit tired early on but these are the roads I train on so it was good to win".
Dan Craven driving the break
NW Regional Road Race Championships
E/1/2/3
1 Ben Greenwood Rapha Condor 03:31:48
2 Andy Guy Science in Sport . Com @13s
3 Dan Craven Rapha Condor st
4 Peter Williams Candi TV @3m22s
5 Robert Smail Mid Devon CC st
6 Matt Cronshaw Rapha Condor @3:41
7 Ashley Finn Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk @3:43
8 Richard Wilkinson Sport Beans - Wilier 434664 st
9 Andy Tinsley Science in Sport . Com @4:04
10 David Williams Kuota - Spinergy - GSG st
11 Shane O'Neill G.S. Surosa st
12 James Williamson Sigma Sport, Specialized, Sportful st
13 Craig Battersby Lancashire RC st
14 Rob Jebb Wheelbase @6:14
15 Steve Abbott Teamwallis CHH Racing Team @6:16
16 Damien Smith Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk st
17 Dean Hitchings FP Mailing CT st
18 Daniel Drake Lancashire RC @6:56
19 Steven Ward Maxgear RT st
20 Graeme Goulding Kuota - Spinergy - GSG st
21 Joshua Andjelkovic Team Sabbath/Claytan st
22 Stephen Rudkin FP Mailing CT st
23 Dillon Byrne Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk @7:12
24 Andrew Hawdon Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk @7:51
25 Andy Coupe Teamwallis CHH Racing Team st
26 Tom Black Team Isle of Man st
27 Lewis Craven Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk st
28 Peter Sadler Science in Sport . Com st
29 Mike Harrison Congleton CC st
30 Steve Burnett Maxgear RT @8:01
31 Simon Wilson Arctic-Premier RT @8:03
32 Colum O'Shea Team Isle of Man @8:32
33 Grahame Sumner GB Fire Service RT @10m47
34 Stuart Reid Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk st
Junior
1 Jonny Knox Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk 02:59:11
2 Chris Nicholson Manx Road Club st
3 Laurie Brooking Buxton CC st
4 Robert Crampton Wills Wheels st
5 Simon Yates Maxgear Road Team st
6 Joshua Hunt Mid Devon CC st
7 Adam Yates Maxgear Road Team st
8 James Dunlop Herbalife/Wheelbase.co.uk @5m06s
9 Martin Woffindin Sport City Velo @5:22
10 Alexander Tyrrell Garstang Cycling Club @7:03
11 Hanna Walker GS Surosa @34:26
Other
1 Stuart Percival GB Fire Service 03:01:35
2 Lee Baldwin Buxton CC @2s
3 Jason Tonge Lancashire Road Club @5s
4 Paul Barlow Private Member @1:10s
5 John Sherriffs Teamwallis CHH Racing Team st
6 Greg Atkinson New Brighton CC st
7 Sam Clark Buxton CC st
8 Jody Warrington ABC Centreville st
9 Alistair Jowett Pendle Forest CC st
10 John Kent Birkenhead North End st
11 Carl Pawson Team Swift Allsports st
12 Alan Ramsay Road Peace st
13 Martin Lyon H.Middleton CC st
14 Jon Eddolls Birkenhead North End st
15 Stephen Clark R Whitfield RT st
16 Ben Simons H.Middleton CC st
17 Matthew Walmsley Birkenhead North End st
18 Craig Eden Cover Your Car/Cover-Zone st
19 Clive Davis Lune RCC st
20 Jason Pickford Wills Wheels CC st
21 Peter Ware St Helens CRC st
22 Jonathan Day Maxgear RT st
23 Nick Willsher Lancashire Road Club st
24 Gary Vose Lune RCC st
25 Stephen Berry Lancashire Road Club @1:23
26 Greg Newton Wills Wheels CC @1:30
27 William Belcher Clayton Velo st
28 Dennis Lang Clayton Velo @1:55
29 Michael Horne Teamwallis CHH Racing Team @4:06
30 Gareth Longbottom Pendle Forest CC st
31 Andrew McCann Teamwallis CHH Racing Team st
